Category: MIL-OSI

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

     The Director of Environmental Protection, Dr Samuel Chui, visited the Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE) in Beijing today (April 21), and held technical exchanges with representatives from the Department of Marine Ecology and Environment of the MEE, the National Marine Environmental Monitoring Center, the Department of Ecology and Environment of Guangdong Province, and the Ecology Environment Bureau of Shenzhen Municipality on the building of “Beautiful Bays” and the development of assessment standards for estuarine bay areas.

     In December 2025, the MEE announced the fourth batch of national “Beautiful Bays”, and Hong Kong’s Mirs Bay was selected as an “Outstanding Example of Beautiful Bays” with an excellent overall score. Dr Chui said that Mirs Bay’s recognition highlights the efforts of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government in marine ecological environment protection, and represents a significant achievement of the HKSAR Government in jointly building the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area into an international, first-class beautiful bay area. The HKSAR Government will actively advance the building of “Beautiful Bays” and is committed to enhancing the quality of the marine ecological environment through the prevention and control of nearshore pollution, co-ordinated ecosystem protection and shoreline remediation.

     At the exchange meeting, Dr Chui shared the HKSAR Government’s work on the building of “Beautiful Bays” and introduced the biological water quality indicator “Phytoplankton Community Integrity Index” developed by the Environmental Protection Department (EPD). He also had an in-depth discussion with the Mainland experts on the development of assessment standards applicable to estuarine bay areas for monitoring, addressing and managing nutrient enrichment in coastal and estuarine waters.

     During his visit to Beijing, Dr Chui also met with representatives of the BRI International Green Development Coalition and the Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences of the Chinese Academy of Sciences to explore collaboration on environmental technologies, aiming to jointly achieve the goal of high-quality green and sustainable development under the Belt and Road Initiative. Dr Chui was also invited to attend the launching ceremony of the Hong Kong Institution of Engineers’ 50th anniversary event “Hong Kong Engineering Legacy Exhibition@Capital” yesterday (April 20). He shared at the ceremony the EPD’s experience in winning the Grand Award in the Innovation Category (2010-present) of the Hong Kong Institution of Engineers’ 50th Anniversary Legacy Award for its Territory-wide Sewage Surveillance Programme.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

     In view of the increasing demand of injections and medicines from society recently, Hong Kong Customs has strengthened enforcement against the smuggling of controlled injection substances and medicines. As a result, two related cases, with suspected controlled injection and pharmaceutical products worth over $39 million, were detected. Three persons were arrested.
 
Hong Kong Customs on March 30 detected one smuggling case involving a river trade vessel departing from Hong Kong for Macao. Large batches of suspected smuggled goods, including about 4 million suspected pharmaceutical products, about 26 000 suspected controlled injection substances, and about 7 kilograms of cigars, with a total estimated market value of approximately $35 million, were seized.
 
Moreover, Hong Kong Customs detected a case of smuggling suspected controlled injection and pharmaceutical products on April 8. Customs officers on that day identified a shop in Sheung Shui which was suspected of smuggling controlled pharmaceutical products. A 28-year-old male consignee suspected to be connected with the case, and a 32-year-old male shop keeper were arrested. Customs further arrested a 33-year-old female person-in-charge of the shop concerned. Customs seized a total of 5 600 weight loss jabs and about 30 000 pharmaceutical tablets, with an estimated market value of about $4.77 million, in the case.

Investigations are ongoing, and the three arrestees have been released on bail.

Customs will continue to combat cross-boundary smuggling activities with firm enforcement action based on risk assessment and intelligence analysis.
 
Smuggling is a serious offence. Under the Import and Export Ordinance, any person found guilty of importing or exporting unmanifested cargo is liable to a maximum fine of $2 million and imprisonment for seven years. Any person who imports pharmaceutical products and medicines without a valid import licence commits an offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $500,000 and imprisonment for two years.
 
Under the Pharmacy and Poisons Ordinance, any person who possesses any poison included in Part 1 of the Poisons List other than in accordance with provisions commits an offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $100,000 and imprisonment for two years.
 
Members of the public may report any suspected smuggling activities to Customs’ 24-hour hotline 182 8080 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk) or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002).

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

Today was the second day of phased arrangements for residents of seven blocks of Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po to return to their units. The Government said 275 people from 78 households turned up and the access arrangements were carried out in an orderly manner and operated smoothly.

Ten middle-zone floors of Wang Sun House were opened today.

Concluding the arrangements, the Government said a total of 271 people of 77 households registered to return to their units today through the “one social worker per household” service, while 275 people of 78 households actually turned up, including one household which reported sick and was absent yesterday.

The average time residents spent entering and leaving the building today was one hour and 48 minutes, with the shortest time being 21 minutes and the longest three hours and 25 minutes. About 13% of the residents stayed in the building for less than one hour.

A total of 34 people of 14 households went up and down the building more than once within three hours. Among them, 23 people of eight households made one additional trip, eight people of four households made two additional trips, while one person of one household made four additional trips, with the highest record of one person of one household making five additional trips and another making four additional trips.

The integrated enquiry counter today received 11 cases of requesting police assistance and two cases involving residents seeking help due to physical discomfort, as well as two cases seeking psychological counselling services.

The 11 cases of requesting police assistance involved suspected loss of property, including camera, jewellery and gold items. Officers were immediately deployed to assist in searches, and lost property was recovered in four cases.

In another four, the units concerned were severely damaged and residents believed after investigation that the property might have been destroyed by fire.

For the remaining three cases, there were no signs of ransacking in the units and the residents could not provide details on the property concerned.

After reviewing the experience from the first day of arrangements, two adjustments have been made on site starting today.

The first adjustment involved expanding the personal protective equipment donning area at Kwong Fuk Community Hall, adding more tables and chairs, and setting up more marquees for rain protection.

The second adjustment involved adding more tables and chairs in the resident waiting area at Tai Po Baptist Public School, and expanding the on-site storage area to facilitate residents while they wait for transport.

The Government outlined that it deploys over 1,000 personnel from various departments each day, including Police, the Civil Aid Service, the Fire Services Department, the Auxiliary Medical Service, the Home Affairs Department, the Social Welfare Department, the Housing Department, and the Housing Bureau, and staff mobilised from other departments, as well as District Services & Community Care Teams members to fully support residents returning to their units.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

Secretary for Justice Paul Lam called on the Supreme People’s Court and central ministries respectively in Beijing for two consecutive days to discuss and exchange views on the progress and work of the key policy initiatives of the Department of Justice (DoJ).

This morning, Mr Lam visited the Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre (HKIAC) Beijing Representative Office to learn about how the office assists the HKIAC in further developing the Mainland market following its establishment in Beijing. The opportunities brought about by the revised Arbitration Law of the People’s Republic of China were also discussed.

Mr Lam then went to the State-owned Assets Supervision & Administration Commission of the State Council to discuss opportunities for co-operation in areas such as capacity building programmes and talent training between the two sides.

He also met Vice Minister of Justice Wu Zeng to discuss issues relating to legal matters concerning the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA), including “allowing Hong Kong-invested enterprises to choose for arbitration to be seated in Hong Kong”, the development of the GBA lawyers’ scheme, and the co-operation between Mainland and Hong Kong law firms.

At the start of his visit yesterday morning, Mr Lam called on the Supreme People’s Court to meet President of the Supreme People’s Court Zhang Jun. They discussed the mutual legal assistance arrangements and training for foreign-related legal talent between the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and the Mainland.

In the afternoon, Mr Lam called on the Ministry of Commerce where he introduced to Deputy China International Trade Representative Jiang Chenghua the DoJ’s measures to strengthen Hong Kong’s professional services sectors in supporting Mainland enterprises going global, and ways to encourage Mainland enterprises to adopt Hong Kong law as the applicable law while expanding overseas and to choose Hong Kong as the destination for dispute resolution.

During the meeting with Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Hua Chunying, both sides exchanged views on issues such as supporting the Hong Kong SAR and the DoJ in collaborating with international legal organisations and enhancing Hong Kong’s status as the centre for international legal and dispute resolution services.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

Chief Secretary Chan Kwok-ki, leading a delegation of the Working Group on Planning & Construction of the University Town under the Committee on Development of the Northern Metropolis, began a four-day visit to Korea today.

The delegation will conduct on-site visits to study the development models and practical experiences of local university towns, with a view to providing a solid reference for the planning and construction of the Northern Metropolis University Town (NMUT).

Today, the delegation first met Ambassador for International Relations of Sejong City Government Lee Ho-shik to learn about the local development of shared university campuses, as well as the experiences of industry-academia-research integration and talent attraction. They also exchanged views on deepening co-operation in the education field between the two places.

Mr Chan said the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government is actively developing the NMUT, with the aim of establishing it as an international education and innovation and technology hub.

He expressed hope that through the visit, the delegation could draw on Sejong’s successful experience in building a multi-university ecosystem and learn from its experiences, considerations and insights in campus planning, shared facility management, talent attraction strategies, and the creation of a university community that drives innovation and economic growth.

The Chief Secretary also hoped the visit would promote exchanges and co-operation in the education sector between the two places.

Afterwards, the delegation visited the Sejong Common Campus, where they toured institutions and facilities, including a shared academic and cultural support centre. They also met Sejong Common Campus Foundation Chairman Han Seog-soo to gain an in-depth understanding of the campus’ operation and planning.

Officially opened in 2024, the Sejong Common Campus houses a number of Korea’s top-tier universities, including Seoul National University, Chungbuk National University, Chungnam National University, Hanbat National University and the Korea Development Institute School of Public Policy and Management.

Mr Chan said the Sejong Common Campus created an integrated, open and collaborative ecosystem with multiple institutions, which is innovative and forward-looking in higher education development.

He added that the campus has integrated education, technology and talent development, achieving results in sustainable and smart campus development, deep integration of industry, academia and research, as well as the establishment of an entrepreneurship ecosystem.

Mr Chan hoped to bring the successful experience from Sejong back to Hong Kong, helping the city build a more innovative, sustainable and vibrant NMUT that effectively integrates education, research and industry, while continuing to promote deeper exchanges and co-operation in the education sector between the two places.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Department of Health (DH) and the Hospital Authority (HA) announced today that a doctor deployed from the HA to the DH for specialty training was suspected of accessing medical records of patients without authorisation while conducting clinical research. The patients were not under the doctor’s direct care.

The DH previously received an enquiry from a member of the public regarding access to electronic health records and launched an investigation.

The DH found that in March this year, a doctor undergoing specialty training accessed the medical records of patients not under the doctor’s direct care without authorisation through the clinical information management system of the Social Hygiene Clinics and eHealth system, involving a total of 47 patients.

The doctor in question has been deployed to the DH’s Social Hygiene Service since 2023, where the doctor undergoes regular training on a weekly basis, participates in clinical service and provides medical consultations to patients.

According to individual specialty college requirements, doctors under specialty training are required to participate in research projects as part of their specialty training.

It is understood that the doctor in question was conducting a clinical research project that had been approved by the HA’s Institutional Review Board.

The scope of the approval was limited to patients’ records from public hospitals and did not cover the DH’s patient records. The doctor accessed the relevant records without obtaining separate authorisation from the DH.

In response to the incident, the DH has immediately suspended the doctor’s training and referred to Police for follow up. The DH has also reported the case to the Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data, the Commissioner for Electronic Health Record and the HA, which employed the doctor. The DH is currently notifying the affected individuals.

The HA earlier received the DH’s notification and learned that the DH had reported the incident to law enforcement and regulatory authorities. The HA will fully co-operate with the investigation.

The HA said it believes that although this is an isolated incident related to clinical research, the procedure was inappropriate, noting that it will take this matter seriously and strengthen staff training on the precautions they should take when using patient data for clinical research.

Both the DH and the HA reiterated that they attach great importance to protecting patient privacy, adding that there are established mechanisms to regulate staff conduct and discipline.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Fanling Bypass (Eastern Section) will be commissioned at 8am on May 3.

With a total length of about 4 km, the bypass is the first major transport infrastructure project to be completed under the Northern Metropolis (NM) umbrella.

It supports the development of the NM, and specifically the Fanling North New Development Area (NDA), and enhances the connectivity of nearby villages.

The bypass is a dual two-lane carriageway, comprising at-grade roads, underpasses, and viaducts.

Starting at Fanling Highway near Kau Lung Hang in Tai Po, it passes through the On Lok Tsuen Industrial Area and the Lung Yeuk Tau Interchange, extends along the Ng Tung River, and connects to Shek Wu San Tsuen and the Fanling North NDA, serving as an important bypass linking North District in the New Territories with urban areas.

Upon commissioning, motorists will be able to travel between Fanling Lung Yeuk Tau, Luen Wo Hui, and Fanling Highway via the new route without passing through busy roads in the town centres of Sheung Shui and Fanling, thereby saving approximately 10 minutes of travel time during peak hours.

It will also divert future traffic from the Fanling North NDA, alleviate the amount of traffic on existing major roads in Fanling and Sheung Shui, and improve overall road conditions and operational efficiency in North District’s road network.

The Fanling Bypass (Eastern Section) is a large-scale project involving complex construction requirements. To enhance efficiency and address challenges, the project team adopted various innovative technologies.

China-made ultra-high strength S960 steel was used in the construction of a cycle track and pedestrian bridge at the Lung Yeuk Tau Interchange. It is the first footbridge in the world to use such steel, the strength of which is nearly three times that of conventional steel, significantly reducing steel consumption and the weight of the bridge.

In addition, the horizontal bridge rotation method was adopted in Hong Kong for the first time in construction of the section spanning the East Rail Line railway. This method significantly shortened construction time and reduced construction risks.